Information management system

• US 6,990,473 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yabuki, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charles, Debra F
• Application Number:
  US09/696,201
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/375, 235/385, 705/37, 705/14, 705/20, 705/21, 705/26, 705/28, 705/400, 705/415, 705/416, 707/3, 707/1, 177/5, 379/114.02, 725/134
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

One or a plurality of commodities are placed in a commodity exhibition shelf (8). Information peculiar to any commodity is read using an input device (2) under the control of a control device (1). It is checked from the information whether any condition, for example, a discount should be given or the like, is stored with respect to the commodity in an information storage device (4). If a condition is stored, then the condition is displayed on a display device (3).

Claims

1. An information management system for managing information concerning one or a plurality of commodities, each of said commodities having an information peculiar to the commodity attached thereto, said information management system comprising a commodity exhibition shelf on which the commodity is arranged, the commodity exhibition shelf including:

a storage unit which stores information representing a predetermined condition for displaying information peculiar to a commodity and a guide concerning said commodity, in association with the kind of said commodity;

an input unit which reads information peculiar to said commodity, which information is attached to said commodity, the information being read using a reading scheme;

a control unit which collates the information peculiar to said commodity read by said input with the information stored in said storage unit, and generates data for displaying the guide concerning said commodity, based on the information stored in said storage unit, when the information peculiar to said commodity read by said input unit matches with the information stored in said storage unit as a result of the collation and the predetermined condition associated with the kind of said commodity is satisfied;

a timer which measures time; and

a display unit which displays the guide concerning said commodity based on the data generated by said control unit;

wherein

said control unit compares the time measured by said timer with information included in the information representing the predetermined condition, when generating data for displaying the guide concerning said commodity.

2. The information management system according to claim 1, wherein said information management system comprises a processing unit connected to said control unit via a line, and

said processing unit updates information stored in said storage unit via said control unit.

3. The information management system according to claim 1, characterized in that said control unit generates for displaying the guide concerning said commodity based on information peculiar to said commodity stored in said storage unit.

4. The information management system according to claim 1, characterized in that said input unit optically reads information peculiar to said commodity, attached to said commodity.

5. The information management system according to claim 1 further comprising, a package which houses the commodity and which has a radio unit which stores information peculiar to said commodity and which can perform radio communication, and said input unit reads information peculiar to said commodity stored in said radio unit.

6. The information-management system according to claim 5, characterized in that said package further includes a commodity-side display unit for displaying information received by said radio unit in communication with said input unit.

7. The information management system according to claim 6 further comprising, a weight measurement unit which can measure the weight of said commodity, the information peculiar to said commodity includes information for associating its weight with its price, and said control unit determines the price of said commodity based on the weight measured by said weight measurement unit and information peculiar to said commodity stored in said storage unit and transmits the determined price by using said input unit in a radio form.

8. The information management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the information peculiar to a commodity includes the price of said commodity, and when displaying the price as a guide concerning said commodity, said control unit displays the price based on the predetermined condition.

9. A system for managing commodities, each commodity having attached thereto information peculiar to the commodity, comprising:

a commodity holder to hold the commodity;

a storage unit which stores information regarding the commodity;

an input unit which reads the information peculiar to said commodity and identifies the commodity;

a timer which measures time;

a control unit which collates the information peculiar to said commodity with the information stored in said storage unit, generates display data for the commodity, and updates the display data based on the time measured by the timer; and

a display unit located in proximity to the commodity holder, to display the display data, as generated and updated by the control unit.